Intel has released version 3.0 of its AI Playground tool, which brings new multimodal upgrades to the app's functionality thanks to modern vision models like Qwen3 VL as well as agentic tool calling support, that allows users to orchestrate actions across different tools and features from within a single chat flow. Instead of completely separate 
Compromised home networks are an increasing concern. Most recently we've written about the SantaStealer malware, budget Android TV boxes doubling as botnets, and compromised routers. Fully securing your home network requires an assortment of proper cybersecurity practices, but a great place to start is GreyNoise's recently released IP Check 
We're in the midst of the season of giving, but that doesn't mean you can't also treat yourself. There are plenty of deals to take advantage of too—be sure to check out our ho-ho-hot tech gift roundup with a curated selection of items from each us here at HotHardware, and if you own a Switch or Switch 2, have a gander at some deeply discounted 
The countdown to Christmas is quickly winding down with now just a handful of days to get your holiday shopping finished for the big day. After you've perused our ho-ho-hot tech gifts selections compiled by all of us here at HotHardware, turn your attention to a big sale going on for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 consoles, with some discounts For Day 20 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with Thermaltake to give one lucky reader a big prize bundle. The winner today will receive a Thermaltake View 290 TG case, along with a set of ARGB Sync fans, a ToughLiquid 360 EX AIO liquid cooler and a Toughpower GF A3 power supply, creating a perfect starting point for a new build.
The Thermaltake View 290 TG ARGB is a mid‑tower chassis built around a curved tempered‑glass front panel and a full glass side panel. Thermaltake’s Toughpower GF A3 PSU is an ATX 3.0–ready power supply designed for modern GPUs, while the Toughliquid 360 EX AIO fits neatly into the case’s top‑mount radiator support, offering ample thermal headroom for high‑performance CPUs. The ARGB‑sync fans will allow you to add some extra colour to your rig.
To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What was your most played game this year?
This competition is open worldwide.
The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 21st, and a new competition will be announced for Day 21. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.
Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide, starting at 11AM GMT on December 20th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 21st. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.
KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 21!
The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 20: Win a Thermaltake hardware bundle! first appeared on KitGuru.
Game preservation is a tricky thing, especially without resorting to emulation or dubiously-obtained ROM files. System 3 Software, however, put in the effort for fans of ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64-era games by bringing its Last Ninja trilogy and a number of its other games to Steam. The games have full support for modern controllers, and 
Players of Riot Games on the PC are familiar with the Vanguard kernel-level anti-cheat software by now. However, even with it installed and updated, gamers may have received a notice that their system is restricted from launching the popular game Valorant. This isn't an accident—per a blog post from Riot Games, a key vulnerability in modern 
This past Wednesday, AMD quietly published what appears to be the first official technical documentation for its upcoming Zen 6 CPU architecture, codenamed Morpheus. This document offers early insight into several notable architectural changes. While the company has not formally announced Zen 6 products yet, the document provides strong hints 
Earlier this week there was an uproar among LG TV owners over the inclusion of what most thought was a Microsoft Copilot app that couldn’t be removed, which was bundled with the latest WebOS platform update. WebOS is the operating system that runs on LG's current range of televisions. The company has responded to the backlash to clarify the Square Enix has confirmed that its Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series has officially surpassed six million units sold worldwide. The collection, which revitalises the first six entries in the long-running RPG franchise, has proven a commercial success since its initial rollout in 2021, validating the publisher's strategy of preserving its back catalogue with uniform standards for modern platforms.
While Square Enix has often faced criticism for its handling of legacy ports, the Pixel Remaster initiative appears to have struck the right chord with gamers. The project involved a complete overhaul of Final Fantasy I through VI, unifying the visual style across the NES and SNES eras. The original pixel artist, Kazuko Shibuya, returned to redraw the 2D character sprites, ensuring the new assets remained faithful to the source material. On the audio front, legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu supervised and orchestrated arrangements of the soundtracks, replacing the synthesized tunes of the 8-bit and 16-bit hardware.
The sales figures shared by Square Enix reflect performance across a staggered release schedule spanning multiple years and ecosystems. The first wave hit Steam, iOS, and Android between July 2021 and February 2022. Following sustained demand from console players, the collection was released on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in April 2023. Most recently, the series landed on Xbox Series X|S and the Microsoft Store in 2024, making the collection playable natively on all major current-gen hardware.
Beyond the audiovisual facelift, the commercial longevity of the bundle is likely aided by the inclusion of modern convenience features that respect player time. Square Enix implemented toggle-based boosters, allowing users to adjust experience gain, automate combat, or disable random encounters entirely. These optional tools have made the notoriously grind-heavy 8-bit entries significantly more palatable for a contemporary audience accustomed to faster pacing.
KitGuru says: It took Square Enix a few tries to get these ports right, but the sales numbers don't lie. With six million copies sold, the Pixel Remaster series stands as one of the publisher's most successful attempts at leveraging its heritage.
The post Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster surpasses 6 million sales first appeared on KitGuru.This year's Game Awards has once again proven its dominance in the gaming calendar, setting a new viewership record for its 2025 broadcast. According to data reported by the organization, The Game Awards secured an estimated 171 million global live views, marking an 11% increase over the 154 million figure recorded in 2024.
Note that this figure represents strictly live tune-ins for the main show. It excludes the long tail of trailer views, social media clips, and viewership from premium partners like Prime Video. The data is aggregated across major open platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, TikTok Live, Steam, X, and Facebook, as well as major regional players such as JioHotstar in India and various Chinese streaming services.
Platform-specific metrics paint a picture of steady growth rather than explosive spikes. On YouTube, the official 4K stream saw an 8% rise in concurrent viewers, contributing to a total platform peak of over 2.4 million when co-streams are factored in. Twitch performance remained good as well, with peak concurrents climbing 5% to settle just above 1.8 million.
This trajectory continues a decade-long trend for the event, which has grown from a modest 1.9 million viewers in 2014 to the juggernaut it is today. The most significant historical leaps occurred in 2018, when it jumped to 26.2 million, and in 2020, when it hit 83 million. The 2025 numbers suggest that while the growth curve is flattening, the ceiling has not yet been reached.
KitGuru says: Did you watch the show? What platform were you watching it on?
The post The Game Awards 2025 breaks records again with 171 million live views first appeared on KitGuru.Started all the way back in 1997, One Piece is one of the longest-running and most popular anime of all time – going stronger than ever after a quarter of a century. As with many successful anime franchises, One Piece has gotten plenty of video game adaptations over the years. One of its most popular series is the Pirate Warriors sub-franchise, with Bandai Namco now confirming that it has sold over 10 million copies.
Releasing a trailer thanking fans, publisher Bandai Namco confirmed that the One Piece Pirate Warriors series has sold a total of 10 million copies.
Beginning in 2012, One Piece Pirate Warriors is a musou-styled game similar in vein to the likes of Hyrule Warriors, Persona 5 Strikers and of course Dynasty Warriors. Since the first entry’s release, we’ve gotten 4 Pirate Warriors games in total with the most recent being Warriors 4 – arriving in 2020.
Despite being arguably the biggest anime/manga series of all time, One Piece has not had the best track record when it comes to video games, with a majority of their releases receiving relatively mixed reviews from critics (though fans are more lenient).
Still, with Pirate Warriors 4 alone selling 4 million copies – and the series as a whole having now exceeded 10 million – there is clearly plenty of demand for more video games set in the world of One Piece.
KitGuru says: What do you think of One Piece as a manga/anime? Are any of the games worth checking out? In your opinion, what’s the best video game of all time based on an anime? Let us know down below.
The post One Piece Pirate Warriors series officially passes 10 million copies sold first appeared on KitGuru.
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